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By D.R. Sentz
June 2, 2014 - July 1 2015, last update 07Dec2019
June 2, 2014- I’ve spent the past few days reassembling and
checking out my old MC6800 computer system, which I built
starting in 1975, completed in 1977, and last checked out in
1996.
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My CPU Board with Five of the MC6810s Removed.
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I ordered and installed two of the S.D. Sales 4k x 8 S-100 type
static RAM board kits. When I added the external RAM I had to
remove five of the MC6810 chips from the CPU board (addresses
$0000 to $027F, 640 bytes). I still have them in storage.
Replaced in 2014
Replaced in 1996
S.D. Sales Co. 4Kx8 Static RAM Kit
For the console terminal I ordered the SWTPC model CT-1024 video
display terminal kit and a surplus CRT display having a green
phosphor. I built up a pretty nice terminal. I wish I still had
it. Most of the construction and checkout of my computer system
occurred in 1976, the year I graduated from Georgia Tech with my
BSEE degree.
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locations $A000-$A07F of the Mikbug “scratch” RAM on the
MEK6800D1 CPU board).
The output pin of IC6 was labeled “5”, should have been “6”.
IC4c and IC4d wiring was incorrect. Markup shows the
correction that made the circuit work correctly.
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receiver, including the motor start/stop function, is still
working fine, (after I cleaned the three audio and remote ON/OFF
plugs with ultra-fine hobby sandpaper and wiped them with
contact cleaner).
June 21, 2014- I completed the design and source coding for my
“Utility Manager” program. The resident assembler, which worked
fine the last time I tried it (in 1996), is bombing during 1st
pass when it tries to process source code lines having statement
labels. After a few experiments, I am suspecting that the CPU
chip is the culprit, so I am going to order a couple from Jameco
for $4.95 each.
This past week I may have successfully fixed both the “ERROR 213”
issue and other erratic hang behaviors, by reseating all of the
socketed small ICs on the CPU board. There have been no “hanging”
incidents since then. Also, the resident assembler seems to be
OK now during 1st pass.
5
Files on Audio Tape Cassette Thanks to Bit Boffer Article.
6
Remaining SW glitches that may be HW related;
TSC Space Voyage program hangs at the “short range scan” output
line after the word “ENERGY” is printed.
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on the CPU board, having date code 7529, with one of two spares
having date code 7523. The remaining spares have date code 7529.
Both the XC6800 and the replaced RAM may be just fine, but I do
not feel like taking the risk of putting them back in. Both
SPACE VOYAGE and the MP-E Resident Assembler programs appear to
be working properly now, where they had been malfunctioning
before.
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XC6820 Peripheral Interface Adapter (PIA) chip. This appeared to
solve one problem whereby the PIA chip was not accepting input
from the terminal, nor was it outputting anything to the
terminal. After reseating the PIA, it began functioning normally,
but the output was not making it through IC19, a 4N33 opto-
isolator chip. I swapped IC19 with the 4N33 at IC20. The
terminal interface started working again. After I reinstalled
the buffer board and the two 4K memory boards MIKBUG could not
write to the memory boards. I reseated those three boards plus
the CPU board. Since then everything has been working without
fail, and I completed my demonstration movie. Also, I no longer
need to use a stirring stick to warp the CPU board.
January 23, 2015- My M6800 computer has been reliable all month.
I completed debug and test of my Utility Manager program.
UTMGR3.SRC is the current working version. UTMGR3.OBJ is the
MIKBUG-formatted object code. I completed a teletype driver add-
on program for Utility Manager. The add-on is now ready to test.
July 1, 2015- The M6800 computer has now been working reliably,
in all respects, since January.
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January 5, 2016- I operated the old Windows98 Toshiba Laptop
with HyperTerminal as the console terminal, at 300bps, 7 bits
data, space parity, and 2 stop bits. It has a 9-pin RS-232C
connector on its back side, mapped as serial port COM1, so the
USB adapter is not necessary. The console data rate switch on
the back of the M6800 computer must be set to down position for
this 300bps and 2-stop-bits mode. The up position is for 600bps
and 1-stop-bit. The installed HyperTerminal does not have a 600
bps option.
The stop bit thing is an artifact of the MIKBUG ROM and the
MEK6800D1 board design. Their idea was that the speed selections
would be 110 bps with 2 stop bits for a mechanical teletype set
as the console (such as the Teletype Corp. model ASR33), or 300
bps with 1 stop bit for a CRT terminal. These were still state-
of-the-art devices in 1975.
10
PANASONIC RQ-212DAS 2ND TAPE, SIDE A, LABELED "BIT BOFFER 2"
June 27, 2018- Today I finally re-installed the XC6800 CPU chip
that I had swapped out 4 years ago during the troubleshooting
activity. The XC6800 is working fine.
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1 and 2 XC6800 Clocks After Initial Readjustment, 07DEC2019
December 11, 2019- I adjusted the MPU clocks again, to just meet
the 450ns and 470ns "90%" pulse widths as described in the
instruction manual for the MEK6800D1 board. The frequency after
this more precise adjustment is 1.0027 MHz. See also my separate
write-up of this adjustment and the results.
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